Suicide Prevention and Intervention with Older Adults
Information
Date & Time
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Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
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Identify and describe at least three risk factors for suicide desire and behavior among older adults, including the impacts of systems of oppression such as ageism.
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Describe and apply two theoretical frameworks or understanding suicide in later life: Interpersonal Theory of Suicide and the Five D’s of Late-Life Suicide.
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Define and differentiate between suicide, physician assisted death, medical aid in dying and other related experiences.
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Recognize and implement strategies and interventions for counselors to identify and support older adults at risk of suicide.
Educational Goal
The educational goal of this presentation is to educate participants about strategies that prepare professional counselors to work effectively with older adults who may be at risk of suicide.
Description
As the population of older adults continues to grow in the United States and around the world, so too will the prevalence of mental health crises such as suicide. Currently, suicide disproportionally impacts older adults – though they comprise about 16.5% of the population, older adults account for 19.3% of all deaths by suicide (Drapeau & McIntosh, 2020). In this workshop, participants will learn risk factors specific to suicide among older adults, theory-driven frameworks to understand suicide prevention and intervention efforts, important distinctions between suicide and other causes of death in later life, and the consequences of ageism on identifying and responding to suicide in older adulthood.
Target Audience
- Counselor
- Marriage & Family Therapist
- Psychologist
- Social Worker
- Substance Use Disorder Professionals
Presenters
Dr. Mary Chase Mize (she/her/hers) is an assistant professor of clinical mental health counseling at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), a National Certified Counselor (NCC), and is Certified in Thanatology – Death, Dying, and Bereavement (CT). Her research is focused on community-based suicide intervention and prevention efforts with older adults, equipping faith-based communities respond to suicide, and preparing counselors to work with older adult clients. In addition to her work in academia, Dr. Mize manages Seek and Find Counseling and Consulting, a small private practice where she provides counseling services to older adults and individuals experiencing grief, bereavement, death anxiety, major life transitions, and suicide ideation and loss. Dr. Mize also serves as a professional consultant and co-author to The Keep/Watch Project, an effort from the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta to equip religious and spiritual communities with suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention response skills.
Financially Sponsored By
- Association for Adult Development & Aging (AADA)